A Traveler’s Journey to Higher Education

10.18.2018

After graduating from high school, Michael Davies planned on spending his life traveling
the world. He found a job working in a restaurant at Bryce Canyon National Park and
spent every free moment roaming the United States. For the next few years, he worked
in various kitchens and restaurants with the idea of possibly becoming a chef — going
back to college was never something he planned on doing.

While spending two months hiking a 700-mile stretch of the Appalachian Trail, Michael
had an epiphany. He decided to go back to school. Within that next month, he made
the decision to become a teacher in special education. “I’ve always been good at working
with people with special needs, because I’m able to connect with them, and that’s
what brought me to the Melisa Nellesen Center for Autism,” says Michael.

In addition to working three part-time jobs, Michael was awarded a scholarship to
help pay for his education. But after his first year, he was notified that the scholarship
was being discontinued. Michael says, “I was thinking maybe I should just leave. I
love this place and I love being a part of the program, but all of a sudden I was
questioning staying.”

Then one day while sitting at his computer, Michael got a letter from financial aid
saying that he’d been awarded the Daniel & Sandra Temkin Scholarship. “For the next
three weeks, I was just beaming. It felt like there was a gigantic weight lifted off
my shoulders in a second. It really made the difference between me completing my education
or stopping,” says Michael.

Because of the scholarship, Michael has been able to work with the director of community
services for the Melisa Nellesen Center for Autism to organize and grow the educational
coaching program – an initiative designed to support high-functioning UVU students
with autism spectrum disorder. On a daily basis, Michael supports and collaborates
with the center’s faculty, provides parents and community members with autism resources,
and gains real-world experience working at an autism clinic.

“Thus far in life, not many things have brought me as much joy as when I am around
and interacting with other people who just so happened to have developed differently
than I,” says Michael. With his graduation date coming soon, he is open to many opportunities.
He may end up teaching in a special education classroom, furthering his work at UVU,
or continuing on to get a master’s degree. Whatever the case may be, it is clear this
free-spirited traveler has found his path.